Announcements

New clinic opens in Aggeneys

Details

Published: Wednesday, 11 October 2017 07:16

Successful public-private partnership approach

Aggeneys, 11 October 2017: The Northern Cape MEC for Health, Mr Lebogang Motlhaping, the Mayor of Khai-Ma, Mrs Pasqueline van Heerden, and the General Manager of Vedanta Zinc International’s Black Mountain Complex, Mr Andre Trytsman, yesterday officially opened the new Aggeneys Public Clinic, a successful public-private partnership in the interests of the community.

The clinic was first opened in 2006, and – as the MEC recalled today: “We will all remember that it was on the 1st of November 2006, when Aggeneys clinic first opened its doors to service the local community after Government heeded the call at the time. This facility used to operate only with two consultation rooms, one toilet, one waiting area and a pharmacy. It also used to operate with one professional nurse and one VCT Councilor to cater for the broader community.”

Construction of the new clinic facility commenced in January 2017 and was completed end of May 2017, with the healthcare team moving into the new facility in June 2017. From its humble beginnings with no telephone, the Aggeneys Clinic is now a properly equipped clinic of approximately 280m2, catering for around 600 patients per month. It has bigger consultation rooms, a properly equipped pharmacy, a new emergency room, larger storage space and easier access for handicapped patients.

As Mr Trytsman noted, “Health issues are central to matters of development and access to primary health care is amongst Vedanta Zinc International’s key strategic priorities. We have a vision, at Black Mountain, of creating a prosperous, safe and sustainable world-class natural resources complex, where our stakeholders and their families can thrive. We know that we cannot achieve this vision without partnering with various other sectors of society such as the Department of Health”.

Mr Trytsman also confirmed Vedanta’s continued support - in partnership with the Department of Health - to the successful operation of the Clinic facility.

The MEC emphasised that “Although many will side this donation as part of your Corporate Social Investment. For us as government it is premised on a need to forge inter-sectoral relationships in our quest to strengthen health delivery in the province. We also wish to pass our gratitude to the progressive management of Black Mountain mine for positively agreeing to assist us during our stakeholder’s engagement to improve the health status of Aggeneys and other areas around Khai-Ma local municipality.”